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Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum Description

Often crowded, it's still worth it to stop in and visit Papa's famous residence and writer's studio. Literature lovers relish the tour guide's tales of the author's early morning sessions; he penned "A Farewell to Arms" with the typewriter and chair on display in the studio. Younger children may prefer to skip the tour and walk around the house and garden. If you do, help the kids locate the 60 cats (some with six toes, descendants of Hemingway's unique favorite) roaming the property, the fountain constructed from a local bar's urinal, and the penny under glass near the saltwater pool, which Hemingway reportedly tossed at his wife for "spending his last cent" on its construction.

Kid Tips

Babies: The relaxing gardens soothe the fussiest baby. They'll delight in watching the cats run around.

Toddlers & Pre-K: Spend more time outside with the cats than inside with the knickknacks.

School-Age Kids: Older elementary kids who've heard of Hemingway will be intrigued to discover where he did his work. Expect younger kids to prefer to spend their time outside.

Pre-Teens & Teens: They've likely read Hemingway in English class, so the guide's tales of his four marriages and war reporting should intrigue.

Planning Notes

Browse their Web site before you go. It lists many of the cats that kids may spy during their visit (including "Audrey Hepburn" and "Pablo Picasso").

Dress in cool clothes. The house was built before air conditioning, and the inside can be stifling in summer. You may even want to bring a personal fan.

Be mindful of cat allergies. The grounds are so large that most sufferers remain unaffected, but there are still a lot of cats here.

Avoid going midday on winter weekends. Between tourists and cruise ships passengers, the small house may be overwhelmed.

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